Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-02

From tia Ne'o Yorc World.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 26.--On a certain street
OF this city there stands large shoe and
dry goods establishment, the directors
and partners of which are in measure
unknown, as the announcements and bills
OF the concern bear nothing but the single
word Famous The art of advertising
IN this country has long since, through
the enterprise and ingenuity of the
American business man, been carried to
a pitch nearly akin to perfection, but it
has been reserved for the proprietors of
the "Famous" establishment to bring
forth one of the most novel and to an
eminent degree original forms
OF drawing trade that has
ever been resorted to-the en-
Dloyment OF notorious eX-bandit to fill
subordinate position. The individual
IN question Is Frank James, who some
years ago retired from public view, and
who has now decided to pass the remain
der Of his days in mercantile pursuits,
namely, as a clerk in the before mentioned
shoe concern. Frank James as museum
attraction would be decided failure, but
when he comes forward in the roles of a
iepentant burglar, horse thief, murderer
and number of other characters too
numerous TO mention, he is decided sue
bOoSs SAC oPCOtdCI0 HLtsEAL6u ny ILLS nero
Rs he gracefully sinks upon one
knee, and with the hands so long
accustomed to the use OF the
derrincer and the bowie, deftly laces
No. shoe upon a No. 8 loot, in the mean
time calling in that voice so often raised
i'll the death yell OF his desperate band, the
Old familiar cry of Cash, here" has
proved to be such an attractive one--to
the ladles--that the receipts Of the estab-
1a1fnpnt D ia
arrival. Crowds of the fair sex gather at
the doors. and unusual numbers of the
usual small boy dlsport in the neighbour
hood, awaiting the hour at which tue eX-
bandit goes out to lunch, when they have
an opportunity to feast their eyes upon
him. So, TO speak mildly, the affair has
created slight sensation.
The object OF ali tpis public attention
cannot exactly he called an obscure per-
sonage, as in bygone years both the press
and that class of literature known as
dime" presented his achievements,
criminal and otherwise, TO the eyes of the
world; and If red letters and double
loaded headlines have had any voice in
the creating of his popularity. they de-
serve large share OF the thanks due for
1t.
Frank James first came into prOmi-
hence IN the following manner: During
souri, and Tennessee bands of desperate
rough riders, facetiously termed 'jay-
haWkers," who, assuming the name and
guise of Confederate soldiers, committed
nameless atrocities upon defenseiess peO-
pie, and who, whenever a body OF the
enemy appeared, always made 1t point
Of having a previous engagement. AS
Tar as burning houses when NOBODY was
home, or shooting unarmed men from be-
hind trees pOnCprna1 thpgQ DARING
apostles of the sword displayed remark
able courage, but whenever an OppOrtu-
NIFTY offered by which they could dash in,
and by defeating an equal number of
equally armed men, cover themselves
with glory, they generally forgot all about
the glory and dashed the other away.
1t was in one of these troops under the
command OF the Missouri guerrilla.
Charles William Quantrell, that Frank
James furnished the brain power and his
brother Jesse all the necessary examples
OF deviltry and cruelty that were needed
TO excite the amiable tempers of his asso-
ciates and keep them at the proper pitch
of ferocity. When the war came to an
end the James brothers, finding that the
employment In which they had been en-
gagged Tor the four years was very con-
genial, took with them several bosom
friends OF the same sort and founded what
was known for nearly hfteen years to the
sheriffs of Missouri, Tennessee and Kan
sas as the james boys gang" In 1870
the members were Frank and Jesse
James, Cole and John Younger. and Tom
and James Mcdaniel. In 1880 they
changed o the James brothers, Ed Miller,
Bill Ryan. Tucker Basham, Wood Hite
and Jim Cummings, and it was by this
band that the Glendale, Blue Cut and
Mortified robneres were committed
In 1881 Bill Ryan was arrested in Nash
syIlle, and the Tennessee officers having
got upon the trail of the band, they were
Aobiiged to separate and fee. Frank and
Jesse James and new member named
Dock Llddell, escaping by the aid Of an
old man known as Hite. In 1882, Jesse
James, who was hiding with the Ford
Brothers. near st. Joseph, Mo-, was, on
April 3, shot through the back while
hanging a picture by Bob Ford, and
though Ford was brought to trial upon
charge of Diurder, his prosecution turned
out to be a miserable farce, but he was
rVund guilty and pardOned by Gov. Crit
tenden, thus giving rise to the charge
against the State officials that the whole
matter had been pTearranged, and that
Bob Ford had been promised a big purse
and pardon as the price and reward of
his deed.
The last affair of robbery in which
Frank James WAS concerned was the AT
tack upon the Wabash railroad train at
Winston, Mo, in July Of 1881, at which
the gang secured $500 from the messen-
GERS safe, and Killed William Westfall,
The conductor OF the train, and man
named Frank Mcmillan.
In 1888 Frank James surrendered to
Gov. CrittenGen, having received the as
surance that he would be given a fair
trial, and on the oath Of July of that year
he was tried at Galatin upon the specific
charge of having killed Frank McMil-
Ian at the Winston tram robbery.
The members Of the gang who accom-
panied him upon that excursion
were Dick Liddell, Wood Hite, Clar-
ence HIte and Jesse James, and
the defense tried to build upon the
theory that only four men were present, as
Wood hite so closely resembed the de-
PENDANT that be was doubtlessiy mistaken
for MIN; but this theory failed and no alibi
could be proved, Dick Liddell, an &C.
complice, went upon the stand, and in
evidence that failed TO be shaken, directly
incriminated the defendant; nine men
swore that Frank James was the fifth
robber upon that train, and that he fired
the shot that killed Mcmillan, aud three
more thought that be was, but in the face
OF all this partial charge was given to
the jury and they brought in verdict of
''not guilty"
Frank James Immediately after his &C